Ludhiana, June 7
With the exit of Dr K S Aulakh as vice-chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University, an unofficial campaign has started at the campus for the demerger of the various departments, which were merged during the tenure of Dr Aulakh.

PAUTA, which supported the merger move earlier, is surprisingly now supporting the demerger

Nearly dozen-odd departments were merged during the six-year tenure of Dr Aulakh as vice-chancellor. There was no opposition to it except when the departments of processing and agricultural engineering, college agricultural engineering, food nutrition department of the college of home science and food science technology department of college of agriculture were merged last year. There was an agitation by the students of the college of agricultural engineering and college of home science.

Dean college of home science Dr (Mrs) Dhillon, too, had sought voluntary retirement as a protest against the merger of the departments. Interestingly the PAU teachers association (PAUTA), which had supported the merger earlier, has now raised the demand for the demerger of the departments and submitted a memorandum to the new vice-chancellor in this regard.

The following departments were merged during the tenure of Dr Aulakh, chemistry and biochemistry, maths, stats and physics, zoology and fisheries. Fisheries has now shifted to the Guru Angad Dev veterinary and animal sciences university. Genetics, biotechnology and plant breeding were also merged. Besides, agri-metereology was merged in agronomy department and later forestry department was also merged in the same.

Extension education department of home science college was abolished and merged into department of extension education in the college of agriculture. Similarly sociology section was separated from department of economics and merged into department of human development for the home science college.

Lately department of floriculture and landscaping was also merged into the department of vegetable crops. However, separate section of floriculture and landscaping was retained in the department.

Department of business management was shifted from college of basic sciences to the college of agriculture.

Sources said here today the functionaries of the departments of processing and food engineering and food nutrition have submitted a request to the authorities for the demerger of their departments. Similarly floriculture department has also sought demerger and demanded independent status in order to develop floriculture, which has a big scope now for commercial production in Punjab.

The separation of the agrimeteorology has also been sought from the department of agronomy.

The vice-chancellor has reportedly constituted a committee consisting of the deans and directors of the university to meet the functionaries of those departments, which have sought demerger and submit the report to the vice-chancellor.

It may be mentioned here that the departments were merged as an economy measure and to check duplication of research and have better coordination in research activities.

The decision regarding the demerger of those departments, which have sought separation, would be taken after the return of vice-chancellor Kang from leave.

Ludhiana, June 7
The National Child Labour Project (NCLP), a Central Government scheme, conceptualised and implemented during the tenure of National Democratic Alliance government, seems to be running into the rough weather with the schools running under this scheme in Ludhiana being starved for funds for last four months.

The NCLP is aimed at imparting education to the working children between the age of 14 and 18. There are about 20 primary schools (upto Class V) running under the scheme in Ludhiana with 50 students each. Under the scheme the children get a monthly scholarship of Rs 100 each besides a daily feed for Rs 5. This was aimed at helping those children, who had to work perforce, to get some education.

The schools are managed by various non-government organisations (NGOs). Each NGO has been given the responsibility of managing one school. The scheme is monitored by the labour department. The additional development commissioner is the ex-officio nodal officer responsible for distribution of grants.

The NGOs running the schools have been having meetings with officials for the release of grants. However, as the students have been dropping out of these schools, a rethink on running these schools is on.

Accordingly, the grants were either withheld or released after due scrutiny.

According to Surjit Singh, who manages an NCLP school in Model Town, the officials tend to believe as if all the NGOs running the schools were pocketing the money themselves. He said, a number of students from these schools have passed out and are now studying in higher classes like Class VI or VII.

Surjit Singh said, the 20 odd NGOs involved to run the project in a smooth manner in the city feel helpless as government was not taking proper initiative to make it a success. NGOs attached with the project feel that such projects were the need of the hour as huge number of children were working as labourers and they certainly got education from these schools.

The project was started in September 2001. Almost eight months back, a survey was conducted in city and it was found that 1000 more such children needed education. The survey was conducted by the assistant labour commissioner.

But till date, nothing has been done in the direction. "The officials have received the grant to open more schools but they are dilly-dallying for no reason", alleged one of the office-bearers of the project.

Ludhiana, June 7
The much talked about encounter by the police about four years ago has ended with the conviction of three accused for five years’ imprisonment each. A fast track court has found them guilty of attempting to launch a murderous attack on the police party.

Convicts include Sukhbir Singh, Kashmir Singh, both belonging to Mohali and Amolak Singh of Thathe Haike village, Amritsar. One of the accused, Sukbir Singh, was also sentenced under Section 25 of the Arms Act for three years.

Delivering the verdict, R.L. Ahuja, judge, fast track court, held that the prosecution had successfully brought home the charges levelled against the accused, beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt. So, they did not deserve any leniency. The court also ordered them to pay Rs 5000 each as fine for different offences.

They were booked under Sections 307, 353, 332, 186/34 of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act at Sahnewal Police Station on March 18, 2003 following complaint of the then DSP, Industrial Area Ludhiana, Snehdeep Sharma, who is presently working here as SP, Headquarter, Ludhiana.

According to prosecution, following the directions of SSP Ludhiana, a team of police officials headed by DSP, Industrial Area, reached near the bridge drain on the G.T. Road leading from Sahnewal to Doraha.

Sukhbir Singh was seen handing over a bag containing heroin and fake currency to Amolak Singh. The police party tried to arrest them. But the accused started firing at police officials for escaping arrest. During cross-firing, one bullet grazed the head of Parminder, gunman of DSP Snehdeep Sharma, who was later medically examined at the civil hospital. However, Kashmir Singh managed to escape during the encounter.

The police had claimed to have recovered two packets of heroin and fake currency notes of the denomination of Rs 500 each, amounting to Rs 20,000. Later, Kashmir Sigh was arrested and fake currency worth Rs 36,000 was recovered. A separate case under the NDPS was registered against the accused. However, the additional sessions judge, B.S. Sodhi had already sentenced the accused to 10 years’ imprisonment each, in the case, on September 6, 2005.

It may be recalled that the then SSP Ludhiana, Harpeet Sidhu, was awarded ‘President Award’ for handling these cases successfully.

However, the accused had pleaded innocence. They had submitted that due to enmity with Kamaljit Singh, SP, Vigilance, they were booked falsely. 

Ludhiana, June 7
The District Congress Committee, Ludhiana (rural), today criticised the Akali-BJP government for its failure to provide subsidised atta and dal to the people.

The party pointed out that the alliance had got votes on this issue but backed out after coming to power.

The meeting was presided over the DCC, Ludhiana (rural), president, Bhalinder Singh, and attended, among others, by MLAs Harmohinder Singh and Jassi Khangura from Raikote and Kila Raipur, respectively.

The meeting observed that the government had failed the expectations of the people.

It said other than going for the vendetta the state government had not done anything for the common man.

The Congress leaders also criticised the government for its failure to provide power to the people particularly in the rural areas.

The party decided to organise regular protests against the failures of the government. 

Ludhiana, June 7
Special Judge Gurbir Singh today dismissed the application filed by managing director of Infrastructure Professionals Enterprises Ltd Ashwajit Singh, seeking permission to go abroad.

Dismissing the application, the Judge observed that it would not be fit to grant him the permission to leave India. His presence may be needed by the Vigilance Bureau during the ongoing investigation. It may be recalled that Ashwajit Singh had sought permission to go abroad from June 7 to 17.

He had submitted in his application that his IPE company was shortlisted for an Asian Development Bank-funded project in the Republic of Palau. He had also mentioned his need to visit Manila for discussing the project with officials of the Asian Development Bank.

During the course of arguments yesterday, Special Public Prosecutors, Mitter Sain Goyal (District Attorney) and M L Solanki had opposed the plea.

Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate Kuldeep Singh today extended the judicial remand of Chetan Gupta, one of the accused in city centre scam, till June 21. He was produced before the court, as the period of his judicial remand expired today. His bail application would come up for hearing before the Special Judge Gurbir Singh on June 9. 

Ludhiana, June 7
Subash Chander Soni joined as executive officer of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) yesterday. He was earlier posted at Nawanshahar as executive officer.

After joining his office, Soni, while interacting with mediapersons, said he was emotionally attached with the LIT as his first posting was in this office only. He said he would serve the people of this city and would streamline the office working with the help of his seniors and staff in his office.